Page 25 of The Devil's Chaos

“Please help me,” she begged.

She crumpled to the ground, her eyes wide with fear. I kneeled next to her and pressed my hands firmly to the gunshot wound to her stomach. “It’s okay. You’ll be okay.”

I frantically looked around for help, but there was none to be had. Blood gushed from the wound in her abdomen; the bullet had torn through her stomach, forming a dark puddle beneath us. She wouldn’t survive this. She didn’t know it, but I had seen enough gunshot wounds to know she would never make it to the hospital. The only thing I could do was stay here and comfort her.

“What’s your name?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the panic rising inside me.

“My—my name…my name is Delilah,” she gasped out, her pale face contorted in pain.

“Nice to meet you, Delilah,” I smiled at her, hoping to fake the reassurance she needed right now. “My name is Haven.”

She coughed violently, blood spewing from her mouth and staining her skin. “I’m scared, Haven.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m right here with you. Help is on the way,” I lied through gritted teeth.

I looked around me, taking in the scene that was pure chaos. No help was coming. If it did, Delilah would be stone cold, her skin pale and mottled.

“Will you stay with me?” she asked, her voice tired, barely a whisper.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised her, keeping my hands tight against her wound, the blood flowing slower now. Her chest rose slowly, no longer able to compensate for the severe blood loss. Her body was going into shock. Within seconds, her chest no longer rose, and her hands went limp to her sides. My eyes filled with tears, and I apologized to her. I apologized for the life my brother had taken—for the life she would never get to live.

Shaking, I looked up and saw my brother running toward me. I didn’t have time to enjoy the fear on his face or the blood pouring out of his broken nose before he was on me.

Yanking me up, he dragged me through the forest. He said nothing, but I could feel the anger seeping from his pores, radiating off him like heat waves. When we made it to the makeshift parking lot, he shoved me toward my car, and I stumbled into the trunk, waiting for my punishment.

“Go the fuck home, Haven. Disobey me, and I promise you’ll regret it.”

I chose not to argue with him, nodded curtly, and watched as he and the remaining men piled into several cars and peeled out of the parking lot, leaving me alone at the back of my car. I collapsed against it, shaking uncontrollably as I struggled to catch my breath. Delilah’s lifeless eyes haunted me, a constant reminder of my brother’s cruelty and the fact that I was truly powerless to save anyone from his wrath.

13

THIRTEEN

KAI

Imoved through the chaotic crowd, shoving people out of the way to get to Archer—my thoughts on protecting my brothers. When I reached him, two of Alexander’s men had already pulled him away from his intended target. I chuckled when I saw Alexander holding his broken nose, spitting blood on the stone beneath him.

“What are you going to do, King?” Alexander taunted.

“I’ll fucking kill you for touching her,” Archer bellowed. “You made a mistake showing your face here.”

“That’s funny because it looks like you’re outnumbered. The time of your reign is coming to an end.”

Archer broke free from the men holding him and lunged for Alexander. Acting quickly, I grabbed the man on Archer’s left and slammed his head into the ground. Chaos erupted as fists were thrown and bodies collided with each other. I grabbed Archer by the arm, pulling him back just as another man aimed a punch at his head. I twisted, evading a blow, and delivered a swift strike to the assailant’s gut. The man doubled over in pain, gasping for air. Archer moved toward Mila and Maddie, who were being pushed closer and closer to the cliff’s edgeby the frantic crowd. Without hesitation, I swung my fist into another assailant's jaw, feeling the satisfying impact of bone against bone. Archer pushed through the crowd, ignoring the gun pointed at his chest. I slammed into the goon, and the sound of gunfire shattered my eardrums. I looked up to see if Archer had been shot, but he was still moving toward Mila, another bodyguard blocking his path. I pulled my gun out of my waistband, shooting the bodyguard in the head, his brains spewing through the icy air. Delivering another gunshot to the one I had tackled, I scanned the crowd for Alexander or his men, but caught them running like little rats away from the fight.

Archer dove off the cliff, and I knew Mila and Maddie had fallen over the edge.

Theo came up to my side, his lip split and dark hair unruly. “I’ve got it up here. Go help, Archer.”

I handed my gun and cell phone to him and jumped over the edge, plunging into the icy, dark water below. I dove underneath the water and scanned the depths, watching as Archer swam to Mila, who had been pinned to the floor underneath the dead body of the bodyguard I had shot. I waited to ensure he didn’t need my help before searching for Maddie. I saw her crawling out of the water onto the rocky beach and swam toward the shore behind her. My clothes clung to my skin as I moved up the coast to get to Archer, who had pulled Mila out of the water and was pressing on her chest. Maddie turned to look at me as I approached, her eyes wide with fear. Archer was a mask of panic as he continued to pump his hands against Mila’s chest. “Come on, Mila. Breathe for me.”

After what seemed like an eternity, Mila gasped for air, coughing up water, as her eyes fluttered open to meet Archer’s. He held her close, trying to comfort her as she shivered uncontrollably.

“It’s okay, Mila. You’re okay,” he reassured her, holding her petite frame tightly against his own.

“Archer?” Her teeth chattered as she spoke.

“I’m here.” He wrapped his arms around her.

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